Chapter 12

It's often been said that my kind is easily distracted. For the most part, I agree with this statement. A vampire sense are so strong—so powerful—that it is difficult to focus on one thing at a time, especially at a young age.

But nothing, not even a meteor shower bombing the surface of Earth, could distract me from the wonder that is Bella. The truly amazingthing , to my mind, at least, was that the beautiful goddess didn't have any clue what she did to me.

At the moment, for example, we were both lounging lazily on the couch, Bella's head propped up against my lap. I sat, pretending to watch the idiotic football game Emmett had insisted on putting on, even if he wasn't here to watch it, stroking Bella's chestnut locks.

I could care less about the inconsequential game on television. Right now, I was far too concerned with every move Bella made as she read.

The way she scrunched her nose when she came across a line she didn't like.

How she turn her head to the side when something captured her attention.

How she would lick the edge of her fingertips before grabbing the corner of a page.

Every small, insignificant little thing Bella did entranced me.

I had tried , honestly, to let Bella be as she read. I didn't want to be a disturbance. Finally, I couldn't take the silence any longer. Twisting a strand of Bella's dark hair gently around my fingertips, I leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear.

"Enjoying the book?"

I saw her fragile fingers freeze on the paper surface of the book, her breath hitching slightly as my lips brushed lightly against her ear. I couldn't help the smug smile that began to spread over my face. It was nice to know, though I had never been with anyone like this before, I still managed to please Bella, even in the small ways.

"Very much," I heard a bell-like, husky tone answer at last. She cleared her throat unnecessarily, turning her beautiful eyes—now almost all gold, flecks of red barely lingering after two weeks of vigorous hunting—towards me. "I've never read anything like it. Thank you," she smiled at me warmly.

I smiled again, bending closer towards her.

I trailed my lips over her jaw, down her neck. Her breathing spiked again before picking back up at rapid speeds. I had traveled the route twice before I reached her ear, stopping to whisper again, "My pleasure."

I felt her body shiver against mine.

I wanted—desperately—to continue in this direction; to pull Bella up into my arms and lead her upstairs. To push my kisses downwards further and further until she moaned in pleasure. To hear her call out my name as….

But I had to stop.

Bella and I had been moving slowly, and I didn't want to pressure into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with.

That was the last thing I wanted.

I pulled back.

Bella's eyes had fluttered shut, her mouth slightly a opened.

I began the conversation again, trying to ease some of the tension between us before I did something stupid. That dazed look on her face was making me think some very inappropriate things….

"We have more of hers, you know," I nodded my head absently to the book in her lap. "They're Jasper's, I think."

Her eyebrows shifted upwards, showing surprise. I gave her a curious look she understood at once. "I just didn't think romance novels were…Jasper's cup of tea…so to speak."

I laughed, my body shaking hers. "They're not," I informed Bella with a grin, moving both of us so she lay entirely across me, I rested my chin on her head "When Jasper reads things with a lot of emotional context—just like this," I touched her book with a light fingertip, "He does it for analyzing purposes. He tries to understand how people feel, through the way they're written. It's one of the few times being in someone's mind is truly interesting to me." Another time, of course, was when Carlisle theorized.

I could only imagine how fascinating hearing Bella's mind would be.

"Emmett still teases Jasper about it from time to time." I finished at last.

Bella's eyebrows came together, scrunching in the middle from her confusion. I smoothed out the dent with my thumb, the rest of my finger stroking her cheeks as I did so. "Why does Emmett teased him?" she wondered aloud.

I grinned. "Emmett teases everyone about everything."

Her smile matched mine, the curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Like what?"

"He teases Alice about her size—and shopping habits. Jasper about his, understandably, high emotionial climate. Carlisle is constantly mocked about his accent—"

"Accent?"

A small chuckle escaped my lips. "British."

Her eyes grew wide for a second, and she immediately broke out into a small fit of giggles. "What?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Her giggling—already a little hysterical—slowly died down. She gave me a large grin and my dead heart seemed to beat again just for a moment. "He's British." She said again shaking her head incredulously. "I was born—and raised, for the most part—in colonial Virginia during the revolutionary war. There was a time in my life I would have spit in any English man's face just for speaking to me. And now, here I am, living in one's house voluntarily. I just think it's humorously ironic, that's all."

"You were a patriot?" Somehow, this thought made me chuckle. Just imagining little Bella riled up and angry, spitting in a grown man's face seemed more than a little amusing.

"One of the biggest." A large grin from her gorgeous pink lips, full and perfectly kissable, "Though I was nothing compared to my bother, Garrett. He was fifteen the last time I saw him. He would be the first one at the rallies, and probably the last one who was able to let go of his sour feelings towards England after the war. He was stubborn."

"It must have run in the family."

Her eyes flashed up to mine, her mouth turned into a playful frown. In quite a childish manner, she stuck her tongue out at me. Then, a kind and warm smile took back over features. "You never told me what Emmett teased you about."

"About the fact that he's the biggest prude known to man. Before you came along, Bells, I was seriously starting to question his sexual preference."

My older brother walked into the room, a football held in his large hands and a mischievous smirk over his face.

I growled lowly at him, but otherwise gave no reaction to his immature mocking.

I heard him mentally complain that he was disappointed from my lack of reaction, and he quickly came up with a plan. Throwing the ball with all his might, he aimed directly at my head.

I, of course, caught the ball easily with one hand, not even having to shift Bella's position on top of me.

I gently laid the ball on Bella's lap, running a hand smoothly through her hair, before turning back to Emmett. "Nice try," I offered.

He frowned at me. "Shut up, Ed."

I sighed deeply, my smug gaze molding into a furious glare. "Ed-ward." I said, accentuating each syllable. "Not Ed. Or Eddie. Or anything else you can think of. My name is Edward."

He snorted deeply, turning his back towards me. He was planning on going off to find Rosalie. "Whatever, Edwina."

Neither of us saw Bella throw the ball before it hit the back of his head.

When we looked back at my love, she was sitting up, turned in his direction, with her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. I could tell, by the set of her cheek bones, that she was hiding a wide grin.

Emmett grinned too, crouching down in a hunting position.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now," he told her.

Bella laughed once, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before bolting off, her colors becoming a burr even to my eyes.

Emmett took off after her.

I sat up, grinning as I heard her wondrous laugh echo throughout the house.

Jasper and Carlisle both finally seemed to hear the raucous of noise and each came out of the library, wearing almost identical expressions of curiosity and amusement.

"Emmett again?" Jasper asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

I nodded," And Bella." I heard a loud crash followed by two loud laughs.

Carlisle smiled. He walked over to the couch, sitting beside me. She seems to be settling in well, he noted.

I nodded.

His hand touched my shoulder in a kind, fatherly way. I'm happy for you, he thought at me.

I smiled in thanks.

Suddenly, I heard Bella call my name, her voice layered thickly with giggles. "Edward!" she called, "Save me!"

She raced into the room just as I stood up, throwing herself into my arms. A beautiful smile graced her lips.

I winked at her, pushing her behind me. Just as Emmett rounded the corner I jumped out, knocking him over and sending us flying onto the floor in the kitchen. The kitchen door was knocked over in our match, flying off the hinges.

Emmett laughed pushing me of him. I quickly got to my feet, waiting as he did the same.

We began to circle each other, playful growling every few minutes. The second Emmett tensed his muscles, preparing to spring, a new arrival came into the kitchen.

Esme ran in, her face holding pure fury and shock. Both my brother and I straightened our positions at once, our expressions growing sheepish.

"Boys!" She said after a moment of mental shock. I can't believe it! My door! "How dare you…acting like children…I…I…Fix this door right now! We'll have guests in less than ten moments and I don't want them to think you were raised by wolves!"

Esme rarely yelled at any of us, and when it happened, everyone—Emmett included—took it deathly serious.

We both nodded, Emmett reaching down to replace the door within it's hinges. It sat at an awkward angle. Esme's nostrils flared with hell's fury.

"I…" Bella stepped in, her face concerned and ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Esme. I started this and I really—"

Esme softened at once, a small smile melting her ridged features. "It's not your fault Bella," she spoke kindly, "This isn't the first time I've had to put my house back together." A sharp glare at Emmett and I. "But it will be the last."

Alice danced into the situation then, mentally laughing at my metaphorical spanking. Perfect little Edward gets yelled at, she mused in my direction. I love what Bella has done to you.

I sighed, but otherwise ignored her.

Truthfully, I love what Bella had done to me as well.

"What visitors?" I asked after a moment of dead silence.

"Tanya and the family. They heard we have a new member, " An excited smile in the direction of my mate, "And they want to met her."

Bella looked utterly terrified.

I'm sure I didn't fair much better.

Tanya was coming.

Emmett's thoughts on the situation summed up my feelings perfectly. Well, this should be interesting.

Interesting indeed.